Former Strikeforce women's bantamweight champion Marloes Coenen spoke with PunchDrunkGamer recently, and they covered a few different topics. Coenen has returned to 145 lbs. and is happy with Invicta FC despite an injury in her last bout, but she did have some interesting comments about current SF champ Ronda Rousey. Coenen definitely respects her skills, but apparently isn't a fan of the way Rousey avoided a bout with Cristiane "Cyborg" Santos:
"She is a great grappler. The way she took out Sarah Kaufman was amazing and so unexpected to me. But she does lack balls, she judoed at 154lbs, entered Strikeforce at 145lbs and when she had to fight Cris Cyborg she dropped to 135lbs. Using me as an example. Let me tell you this, I fought Cyborg (and will do so in the future again) and then was asked by Strikeforce to drop to 135lbs. Having said all this, career wise it was really smart of her and she deserves a master in PR. She doesn’t care how she gets there, as long as she gets there. And she’s successful at it, looking at the magazine covers like ESPN and changing Dana White’s mind."
When asked about Cyborg's suspension for a positive steroid test, Coenen said that she knew what she was getting into when she fought Cyborg in 2010:
I can be quite naive, but I knew what she was doing when I had to fight her. It was my decision to step into the cage with her. So I have to suck it up as well. It's not me who can decide what should happen. The authorities (whoever that might be) or fans can do that, not me.
Coenen seems happy at 145, but other than Sara McMann, she might be the best competition out there for Rousey at the moment. That's a bout I'd like to see as well, so hopefully Strikeforce can put it together at some point.
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